CA Attorney General Kamala Harris: Investigate UCLA for ignoring discrimination and retaliation complaints by faculty members

For years, UCLA has discriminated against its own faculty members and failed to adequately address complaints.

In a new report released by an independent panel led by retired California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, the findings are clear: UCLA’s complaint process for addressing claims of discrimination and retaliation “has failed to adequately record, investigate, or provide for disciplinary sanctions for incidents which, if substantiated, would constitute violations of university nondiscrimination policy.

In other words, UCLA has turned a blind eye to accusations of discrimination and retaliation, thereby fostering a workplace environment where intolerance and hostility are permissible. As a state funded institution of higher learning, this is unacceptable.

Thanks to the LA Times, which obtained and released the findings, we know that UCLA faculty has described “a racial campus in near crisis.”

In light of the report’s findings that UCLA failed to properly investigate and address claims of discrimination and retaliation, this petition requests an independent investigation by California Attorney General Kamala Harris to determine if any state laws were violated or university policies relative to claims of discrimination and retaliation. This petition further requests the Office of the Attorney General to provide recommendations and guidelines to strengthen the university’s nondiscrimination policies.

Last year, Dr. Christian Head, a former surgeon at UCLA's medical school, filed a complaint describing horrible treatment he received while on staff -- including when a UCLA staff displayed a slideshow image to hundreds of his colleagues. In the image, Dr. Head’s face was superimposed onto the body of a gorilla standing on all-fours being sodomized by his Caucasian supervisor. After thousands of people signed a petition in support of Dr. Head, the university agreed to a settlement with him a few months ago. What started out as a single case of racial discrimination and retaliation against Dr. Head, has now exposed a deeply rooted problem at UCLA that requires a broader solution.

UCLA has proven that it cannot appropriately address systemic complaints of discrimination. It's time for a higher authority, the state's Attorney General, to step in and ensure accountability.Please add your voice to the resolution passed by the California NAACP to investigate and reform UCLA’s racial climate problem and institute an environment that respects all people, regardless of ethnic origin, religious background, sexual orientation and gender.

Share this petition

Petition Closed

This petition had 67,056 supporters

We were unable to post to Facebook. If you still want to share this petition, please try again.

CA Attorney General Kamala Harris: Investigate UCLA for ignoring discrimination and retaliation complaints by faculty members